Uganda’s civil servants are now summoned to a weekly workout. Yes, you read that right.
The government has decided that while they’re used to exercising their bureaucratic muscles, it’s time to get those physical ones in action too. All this is for their own good f course – to turn the tables on the growing presence of non communicable diseases (NCDs).
Under the watchful eye of Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe, it’s not just the ink that’s supposed to flow in government offices anymore. In a missive dated March 13, 2024, all permanent secretaries, clerks, and chiefs have been commanded to trade in their pens for push-ups – well, figuratively.
Quoting from the scrolls of bureaucracy, Nakyobe’s decree calls for a two hour weekly physical exercise session to be integrated into the dull routine of government employees.
The directive, it seems, is an extension of a long standing tradition championed by Judiciary permanent secretary Pius Bigirimana. He’s been on a crusade for fitness since the days when judicial robes were more popular than jogging suits. His gospel of physical well being has been spreading faster than gossip in a village market.
But this isn’t just about flexing muscles; it’s about flexing power too. Nakyobe, in her epistle, makes it clear that this isn’t just another box to tick on the to-do list. No, no, this is a matter of life and death! Saving lives, reducing diseases – it’s like fighting corruption, but with sweatbands instead of red tape.
And let’s not forget the National Day for Physical Activity, Uganda’s annual ode to sweat and sports shoes. It’s a day when the nation collectively gets off its seat cushions and onto yoga mats, proving that even the most sedentary souls can bust a move when the music of national health is playing.
